Depiction: In the Tarot de la Santa Muerte, the card "El Loco" shows a young man setting off on a journey into the unknown. He points ahead as he struts across a bridge over water, and appears to be walking away from the mountains in the background. He carries a simple pack of belongings. From the clouds, the Santa Muerte in a blue cloak watches over El Loco, one of her hands holds a freshly turned hourglass and the other points back to where El Loco has come from. There is a skeletal dog on the bridge, which appears as if it is trying in vain to block El Loco from continuing.

Symbolism: Mountains symbolize the spiritual realm, or "the heavens", while water in the form of a river symbolizes the separation between the physical world and the spiritual world. By confidently walking across a bridge away from the mountains in the background, it can be inferred that El Loco is leaving behind the spiritual and entering the physical - he is being reborn.

The blue color of Santa Muerte's cloak is a symbol for wisdom and knowledge, which represents the lessons El Loco is going to learn on the path ahead. The freshly turned hourglass held by Santa Muerte symbolizes a new beginning / fresh start for El Loco. Her hand pointing El Loco in the opposite direction, as if to say that he should turn around, represents advice and input going unheeded.

The skeletal dog is a symbol for a guide or companion because of the notion of being man's best friend. The dog also symbolizes the earthly realm because it is made entirely of bones, and it's our bones which remain on Earth the longest after our deaths.

Despite the pointing finger of Santa Muerte telling El Loco to turn around, and despite the efforts of the skeletal dog to block El Loco's path, El Loco carries on - either oblivious to external warnings or in spite of them.

In a reading upright, this card represents new beginnings, rebirth, adventure, freedom / independence, idealism, and confidence about a new beginning. This card may also indicate unheeded warnings from friends and loved ones, especially those considered wise. This card reminds us that, ultimately, we are responsible for the paths we take, and any paths we decide to take are ultimately our own decision, for better or for worse.

In reverse, El Loco stands for a bad start and struggles on one's path. Where the upright depiction of El Loco signifies confidence, this card in reverse should signify apathy, indecision, and negligence. A new path of challenges or hurdles ahead. The Santa Muerte's hour glass appears almost empty when this card is in reverse, signifying an actual or perceived lack of time.

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